Zuppa Tuscana

What could be better on a cold winters day when the snowflakes are flurrying, than a bowl of some hearty soup?  Nothing, I'd say.  I have been craving this soup since 2006 when I found out I had to go gluten free and could no longer get my fix at the local Olive Garden.  After all this time, I finally got to making a pot of this yummy northern Italian inspired soup, and it is exactly how I remember it being, or maybe even better if I want to toot my own horn.  Not sure what extras Olive Garden is putting in theirs to make it not gluten free but this recipe couldn't be any easier and is completely free of the gluten. It's rich and creamy filled with hearty potatoes, Italian sausage, and kale, which makes me feel good about getting in my greens too.  Okay Okay enough talk, here's how to make it:

Zuppa Tuscana Ingredients:

• Italian Sausage links casings removed, make sure it's labeled gluten free (I used mild but you could also use spicy if you like it hot)
• 2 onions chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic
• a bunch of kale, stems removed and chopped
• 6 smaller sized potatoes chopped
• 1 quart chicken stock or turkey stock,  (I had a ton of turkey stock in the freezer from thanksgiving so that's what I used), what ever you have on hand
• 1 quart of milk
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• A pinch or two of crushed red pepper flakes, for a little spice

Recipe:

Brown the Italian sausage meat until brown and crispy.  Remove browned sausage from the pot leaving the majority of the fat in the pan.  Add the chopped onion, garlic, kale and liberally salt and pepper.  Cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent and the kale is wilted.  Then add potatoes, cooked sausage, crushed red pepper flakes, stock, and milk. Simmer on medium-low heat for a good hour or so.  Check for seasoning, if it's all good, serve it up!! Enjoy with a hunk of gluten free toasted bread or on it's own, it's hearty and delicious either way. Buon appetito!!

~Megan~